What to Know Before Buying a Home in Jacksonville

By Matty Miller

With a track record defined by precision and local expertise, Matty Miller is a cornerstone of the Jacksonville real estate market. Since 2017, Matty has successfully navigated over 200 real estate transactions, earning his Broker’s license in 2019 to provide a higher tier of service to his clients. Currently overseeing a single-family property portfolio valued at over $50 million, Matty specializes in the strategic management and acquisition of high-value assets across the First Coast. His approach combines deep market data with a boots-on-the-ground understanding of Jacksonville’s unique neighborhoods. Whether working with institutional investors or individual homeowners, Matty delivers the seasoned perspective required to maximize value in Florida's most dynamic coastal markets.

Welcome back to the buyer roadmap. Last time, I walked through the eight stages of the buying process, and now I want to break down the other things you should really know before you buy.

None of this is exclusive to the Northeast Florida market; most of it applies just about anywhere, but the specifics here are tied to North Florida and, more importantly, to how I work at Pursuit Real Estate. Let’s get into it.

I work as a single agent, which means I’m in your corner. A lot of brokers operate as transaction brokers. The difference matters more than most buyers realize. As a single agent, I owe you full disclosure, loyalty, confidentiality, and obedience. Those are some strange-sounding words, so here it is in plain terms: I represent you specifically, not just the transaction, and I’m obligated to tell you the absolute truth and act in your best interest. A transaction broker doesn’t owe you that same undivided loyalty.

I can represent you on new construction, and I can help with foreclosure and probate properties, too. I’ll be honest, those aren’t my favorite because the process is heavier and slower, and the outcome isn’t always guaranteed, but we are seeing a few more of them come back on the market, and I can absolutely help if that’s the route you’re on.

Custom searches keep you out of the ad maze. One of the most useful things I do is set up targeted searches built around exactly what you’re looking for, down to the neighborhood. That way, you’re not endlessly scrolling Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and Homes.com, where a lot of what you see is advertising paid for by some other agent who just wants to talk to you. I keep that in-house, send the right listings straight to you, and when you have a question, you tap a button, it pings me, and we get you an answer. Simple as that.

Know your must-haves versus your wants. This is one of the biggest things I work through with buyers. There’s a real difference between “I need” and “I’d like.” Say you’re in the $500,000 to $600,000 range and you need four bedrooms with an office, single story, because your mom is moving in next year and you don’t want stairs. Those are needs. Yard size, fenced or by acreage, a two-car garage minimum, a pool in the neighborhood or at the house, those might be wants.

My rule of thumb is that if we can check seven or eight boxes out of ten on a home, that’s a win. You probably won’t get all ten, but if we can get you to 70 or 80 percent, there may be a couple of things you can add to the home down the road to check that ninth box.

Location is a loaded question in a city this big. Speaking of boxes, location is a huge one. It shapes your schools, your commute, how close you are to church, dining, shopping, and everything else.

And here’s the thing about Jacksonville: it’s one of the largest cities in the country by land mass. When someone tells me they want to buy “in Jacksonville,” that covers a wide range. You can drive for over an hour and still be in Jacksonville, from near Amelia Island to Yulee, and areas stretching toward Palm Coast. So we narrow it down. Maybe you want to be near someone you know, or maybe it’s a specific area like Riverside, Avondale, Mandarin, or Ortega. Figuring out where you actually want to be is one of the first real steps.

Working with a lender goes faster when you’re open. I covered lenders in the last video, but the short version is they’re going to want your documents, your W-2s, your pay stubs, and they’ll run full credit and ask questions. It’s a process. The more open you are and the faster you get them what they request, the quicker you move through underwriting and get to clear to close. If you need a recommendation, I work with a range of trusted lenders and can point you in the right direction.

Contracts and disclosures are my responsibility. I don’t expect most buyers or sellers to understand all the contract language, and that’s completely fine. In Florida, we primarily use the standard AS-IS contract. The term “AS-IS” is a little misleading, as it doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate repairs.

It’s just standard verbiage that’s very specific to buying and selling here in Florida. I’ve personally done over 600 deals with that same contract, so I know what’s in it, what we can push on, and what we can’t. We’ll go through it together.

Here are the costs you should expect. This is a big one, so let me lay it out. Home inspections typically run $300 to $500, and specialized inspections like septic or pool will cost more because you’re bringing in a specialist. Appraisals are usually required by your lender, who’s making sure the home is worth what they’re lending, and you pay for that at closing.

Earnest money is your binding deposit, typically about 1% of the purchase price, paid within three to five days of acceptance. Your credit report is usually paid at closing through your lender and generally runs under $100.

Home insurance is finally easing in Florida. This is a big buzzword in our market. Insurance got really expensive over the last few years, but as of 2026, it’s started to steady out. I’m seeing policies on a lot of normal homes now priced between $1,300 and $2,000 a year.

A few years ago, I was seeing closer to $2,000 to $4,000. We had insurers trying to leave Florida after back-to-back hurricane seasons, but pricing has improved, and a lot of that traces back to recent legislative reforms that the state credits for bringing rates down. That’s honestly a whole other video, but the short version is insurance has gotten a little cheaper here in the last few months.

Home warranties can help, with a catch. People feel differently about these. It’s a little like being offered the accidental protection plan when you buy a TV. My personality is to say no, but I’ll be fair: home warranties can make sense for some people, especially first-time buyers who’ve put most of their cash into the purchase and want a safety net if something breaks.

Maybe it’s a $400 policy that covers your dryer, fridge, or AC if they go out. The catch is they’re largely doing band-aids, not full replacements, which is my hesitation with them. They do serve a purpose, so they’re worth considering.

That’s the full breakdown of the costs and the details that go into buying a home here. If you want this information or have any questions about your own situation, reach out. Call or text me at 904-650-3890, email me at matty@pursuitrealestate.com, or visit mattymillerrealestate.com. I’m always happy to walk you through it and help you find the right home.